To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

Objective To investigate the association between the weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) and prostate cancer (PCa) in order to provide reference for the screening and diagnosis of PCa.Methods Data of 18732 men aged ≥20 years were obtained from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 1999 and 2018. The relationship between WWI and PCa was assessed using a multivariate logistic regression model.A stratified analysis was performed across four time periods:1999—2006, 2007—2010, 2011—2014, and 2015—2018.Restricted cubic splines (RCS) and subgroup analyses were employed to evaluate the potential nonlinear associations and interactions between WWI and PCa risk. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized to compare the predictive performance of WWI with other obesity-related indicators, including waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and body weight.Results In the fully adjusted model, each 1-unit increase in WWI was associated with a 74% higher risk of PCa (OR=1.74, 95%CI:1.44-2.11, P＜0.001).Individuals in the highest quartile of WWI had nearly five times greater odds of PCa compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR=4.96, 95%CI:2.69-9.15, P＜0.001).The observed association remained consistent across all four survey cycles.RCS analysis revealed a nonlinear positive association between WWI and PCa risk. Threshold analysis indicated that when WWI ≥9.97, there was a significant positive correlation with PCa risk (OR=1.39, 95% CI:1.18-1.64, P＜0.001).Subgroup analyses confirmed the robustness of this association across different demographic and clinical subpopulations.Furthermore, WWI demonstrated superior discriminatory ability for predicting PCa compared to WtHR, BMI, waist circumference, and body weight (AUC=0.706, 0.608, 0.509, 0.594, 0.488, P＜0.001).Conclusion For the general male population in the US, WWI serves as an independent risk factor for PCa.This association has remained stable over 1999—2018, and WWI outperforms conventional obesity indicators in terms of predictive accuracy.Therefore, individuals with WWI ≥9.97 should be prioritized for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, which may enhance current screening and diagnostic strategies.

This consensus was developed by the Orthodontic Society of the Chinese Stomatological Association to provide a systematic, scientific, and practical guideline for informed consent in orthodontic care. Orthodontic treatment is typically lengthy, highly individualized, and involves multiple factors such as growth and development, occlusal function, and facial esthetics. Rapid technological advances and diverse risk profiles make the traditional reliance on orthodontist experience or institutional templates insufficient to ensure patients′ full understanding and autonomous decision-making. To address this, the expert panel conducted extensive reviews of domestic and international guidelines, analyzed representative dispute cases, and performed multicenter patient-clinician surveys. Using a multi-round Delphi method, the group established a standardized informed consent framework covering the initial consultation, treatment, and retention phases. The consensus emphasizes that informed consent is not only a fundamental legal and ethical requirement but also a key step in building trust, improving patient compliance, and enhancing treatment satisfaction. Orthodontists should clearly and comprehensively explain treatment plans, potential risks, uncertainties, and associated costs, while respecting the autonomy of patients or guardians, and maintain continuous communication and dynamic evaluation throughout the treatment process. The release of this consensus provides unified and authoritative guidance for clinical orthodontics, helping to standardize informed consent, enhance its transparency, safeguard patient rights, reduce medical risks, and promote high-quality, sustainable development of orthodontic practice.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nebulized inhalation of recombinant human interferon (IFN) α1b injection in the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and bronchiolitis) in children.Methods:A randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled add-on design was used.Children with pneumonia or bronchiolitis aged 2 months to 5 years who tested positive for RSV antigen within 72 hours of onset from 30 clinical trial sites including Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University between February 2021 and December 2022 were included in this study and randomly divided into 2 groups at a ratio of 1∶1 based on a stratified-block method.Both groups received basic treatments such as cough control, asthma relieving, expectorant treatment, fever reduction, oxygen therapy, etc.The experimental group received additional nebulized inhalation of IFN α1b injection at a dose of 2.0 μg/(kg·time), twice a day.The control group received nebulized inhalation of placebo twice a day.Clinical efficacy was evaluated based on indicators such as the duration of clinical symptoms and signs, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the median and 95% CI of the duration of clinical symptoms and signs.The Log-rank test was used to compared data between groups.Safety was assessed through the incidence of adverse reactions and laboratory tests, and the Chi-square test was used to analyze the difference between groups. Results:There were 123 children in the experimental group and 122 children in the control group.The median durations of all the 5 clinical symptoms and signs [including shortness of breath, wheezing, dyspnea (visible retractions), decreased transcutaneous oxygen saturation, and abnormal mental state] in the experimental group after treatment were slightly shortened than those in the control group [2.7 d(95% CI: 1.9-3.0 d)] vs.[2.9 d(95% CI: 2.6-3.6 d), P=0.027].The improvement in dyspnea (retractions) was especially pronounced in the experimental group, with a relief rate of 50.0% (0, 100%) on the first day of administration[compared with 0 (0, 50.0%) in the control group ( Z=2.002, P=0.025)].The median duration of dyspnea in the experimental group was nearly 1 day shorter than that in the control group [1.0 d(95% CI: 0.7-1.7 d) vs.1.8 d(95% CI: 1.0-2.5 d), P=0.046].There were no significant difference in hospital stay [6.0(5.0, 8.0) d vs.6.5(5.0, 8.0) d, Z=0.675, P=0.500], oxygen therapy duration [32.0(14.0, 96.3) h vs.39.0 (24.0, 83.2) h, Z=0.094, P=0.925], the recovery rate from clinical symptoms during treatment [(105/106, 99.1%) vs.(96/101, 95.0%)], and recurrence rate [(0/106, 0) vs.(2/101, 2.0%)] between the 2 groups (all P>0.05).However, the above-mentioned four indicators in the experimental group showed a trend of clinical benefits.The quantitative virus detection results showed that the RSV viral load in both groups decreased after treatment compared to before treatment.After 2 days of treatment, the decline rate of RSV viral load from the baseline was 0.90 lg copies/(mL·d) in the experimental group and 0.25 lg copies/(mL·d)in the control group, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05).Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups ( P>0.05).Importantly, no drug-related serious adverse reactions occurred in both groups. Conclusions:The nebulized inhalation therapy of IFN α1b demonstrates efficacy and safety in treating pediatric RSV associated lower respiratory tract infections.It particularly offers outstanding clinical therapeutic value for severe children.

Objective:To develop a Recurrence Fear Scale for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation after Catheter Ablation and conduct psychometric testing for its reliability and validity.Methods:Based on the common-sense model of self-regulation, the scale was developed through a literature review and semi-structured interviews to construct an item pool. The scale draft was formed through expert consultation and a pre-survey. Using convenience sampling, 361 patients with atrial fibrillation who had undergone catheter ablation and were either hospitalized or attending outpatient follow-up at the Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, between January and March 2024, were selected for questionnaire survey. Item analysis and reliability and validity tests were performed on the scale.Results:Exploratory factor analysis identified five common factors, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 74.375%. Confirmatory factor analysis showed good model fit. The final scale included five dimensions and 24 items: trigger factors, recurrence risk perception, disease uncertainty, psychological burden, and coping strategies. The content validity index at the scale level was 0.864, and the item-level content validity index ranged from 0.684 to 0.947. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.919, the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.834, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.872.Conclusions:The development of the Recurrence Fear Scale for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation after Catheter Ablation is scientific and standardized, and the scale has good reliability and validity. It can effectively assess the level of recurrence fear in these patients.

Cerebral small vessel disease is a group of age-related pathological syndromes with complex and diverse clinical symptoms.In the early stage,it is often asymptomatic or manifested as sleep or emotional disorders.Further disease development can lead to stroke or dementia,making it a crucial target for the early prevention and treatment of brain aging.Studies have shown that biological rhythm disorders are significantly associated with the onset,progression,and outcome of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.With the rapid development of modern society,the fast-paced lifestyle leads to the disorder of the body′s biological rhythm,thereby accelerating the aging process.However,few studies have investigated the correlation between cerebral small vessel disease and biological rhythm disorders in Western medicine.Sleep disorders and increased blood pressure variability related to cerebral small vessel disease may represent specific manifestations of biological rhythm disorders.The pathogenesis of cerebral small vessel disease is related to qi collaterals,and the biological rhythm disorder is mainly caused by the disorder of the growth and decline of yin and yang qi and the circulation of nutrient qi and defensive qi in the human body.Therefore,the disorder of qi rhythm may be involved in the early pathological mechanism of cerebral small vessel disease.By integrating Western medical research,this article explores the evolution of traditional Chinese medicine pathogenesis of cerebral small vessel disease associated with brain aging from the perspective of qi rhythm,aiming to provide novel diagnostic and treatment insights for the clinical treatment of cerebral small vessel disease.

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Claudin-6(CLDN6),tripartite motif-containing protein 59(TRIM59)and chemokine-like factor-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing member 6(CMTM6)in nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)tissue.Methods A total of 135 NPC patients were selected as the study objects,and cancer tissue(observation group)and para-cancer tissue(control group)of all patients were collected.All patients were followed up for 3 years.According to the follow-up results,93 surviving patients were included in the survival group and 42 dead patients were included in the death group.The mRNA expressions of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 were determined by fluorescence quantitative PCR.Multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of death in NPC patients.Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relationship between the expression levels of CLDN6,TRIM59,CMTM6 and the prognosis of NPC patients.Results Compared with the control group,mRNA expressions of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 were increased in the observation group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in age,sex,body mass index,TNM stage,bone metastasis,smoking history,drinking history and hypertension history between the survival group and the death group.Compared with the survival group,the proportion of NPC family history and the mRNA expression of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 in cancer tissue were increased in the death group(P<0.05).Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the increased levels of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 in cancer tissue were influential factors for death of NPC patients(P＜0.05).According to the mean expression levels of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 mRNA in cancer tissue,patients were divided into the low expression group and the high expression group.The 3-year survival rate of the high expression group was significantly lower than that of the low expression group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The mRNA expressions of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 in NPC tissue are significantly increased,which is a risk factor for death in NPC patients,and the mRNA expressions of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 are correlated with the prognosis of patients.

Cerebral small vessel disease is a group of age-related pathological syndromes with complex and diverse clinical symptoms.In the early stage,it is often asymptomatic or manifested as sleep or emotional disorders.Further disease development can lead to stroke or dementia,making it a crucial target for the early prevention and treatment of brain aging.Studies have shown that biological rhythm disorders are significantly associated with the onset,progression,and outcome of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.With the rapid development of modern society,the fast-paced lifestyle leads to the disorder of the body′s biological rhythm,thereby accelerating the aging process.However,few studies have investigated the correlation between cerebral small vessel disease and biological rhythm disorders in Western medicine.Sleep disorders and increased blood pressure variability related to cerebral small vessel disease may represent specific manifestations of biological rhythm disorders.The pathogenesis of cerebral small vessel disease is related to qi collaterals,and the biological rhythm disorder is mainly caused by the disorder of the growth and decline of yin and yang qi and the circulation of nutrient qi and defensive qi in the human body.Therefore,the disorder of qi rhythm may be involved in the early pathological mechanism of cerebral small vessel disease.By integrating Western medical research,this article explores the evolution of traditional Chinese medicine pathogenesis of cerebral small vessel disease associated with brain aging from the perspective of qi rhythm,aiming to provide novel diagnostic and treatment insights for the clinical treatment of cerebral small vessel disease.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of three-dimensional(3D) printing-assisted fenestrated/branched endovascular aortic repair (F/B-TEVAR) for the treatment of endoleak after open surgery for type A aortic dissection.Methods:A multi-center retrospective case series analysis was conducted on 16 patients with anastomotic leakage following Stanford type A aortic dissection open repair, admitted to 12 medical centers between January 2019 and December 2023. All surgeries were led by the vascular surgery team from Department of Vascular Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. The study included 12 males and 4 females, with an age of (58.1±8.2) years (range: 42 to 75 years). Preoperative patient-specific 3D-printed models or 3D parametric surface topological guides were created based on aortic CT angiography data. These models assisted intraoperative external positioning of fenestration sites, combined with stent diameter selection and inner branch techniques to complete endovascular repair. Surgical procedures, complications, and clinical outcomes were evaluated, with follow-up CT imaging to assess efficacy.Results:All patients successfully underwent surgery without conversion to open repair. One patient had distal stent migration from a prior open repair, requiring intraoperative coverage of the main stent window and conversion to an in situ fenestration procedure. The mean operative time was (332.6±111.2)minutes (range: 80 to 460 minutes). No renal failure, paraplegia, or branch artery loss occurred. Postoperative follow-up ( M(IQR)) was 18(18) months(range: 6 to 36 months), with follow-up rates of 16/16 at 6 months, 10/16 at 12 months, 8/16 at 24 months, and 2/16 at 36 months. During follow-up, endoleak occurred in 3 patients, cerebral infarction in 1 patient, and death in 1 patient. The remaining patients demonstrated stable stent positioning, patent branches, and no endoleak. Conclusion:3D technology-guided F/B-TEVAR shows favorable mid-to short-term outcomes in treating anastomotic leakage after open repair of type A aortic dissection.

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Claudin-6(CLDN6),tripartite motif-containing protein 59(TRIM59)and chemokine-like factor-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing member 6(CMTM6)in nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)tissue.Methods A total of 135 NPC patients were selected as the study objects,and cancer tissue(observation group)and para-cancer tissue(control group)of all patients were collected.All patients were followed up for 3 years.According to the follow-up results,93 surviving patients were included in the survival group and 42 dead patients were included in the death group.The mRNA expressions of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 were determined by fluorescence quantitative PCR.Multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of death in NPC patients.Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relationship between the expression levels of CLDN6,TRIM59,CMTM6 and the prognosis of NPC patients.Results Compared with the control group,mRNA expressions of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 were increased in the observation group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in age,sex,body mass index,TNM stage,bone metastasis,smoking history,drinking history and hypertension history between the survival group and the death group.Compared with the survival group,the proportion of NPC family history and the mRNA expression of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 in cancer tissue were increased in the death group(P<0.05).Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the increased levels of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 in cancer tissue were influential factors for death of NPC patients(P＜0.05).According to the mean expression levels of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 mRNA in cancer tissue,patients were divided into the low expression group and the high expression group.The 3-year survival rate of the high expression group was significantly lower than that of the low expression group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The mRNA expressions of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 in NPC tissue are significantly increased,which is a risk factor for death in NPC patients,and the mRNA expressions of CLDN6,TRIM59 and CMTM6 are correlated with the prognosis of patients.